Airplane toy



AIRPLANE TOY .Filed Jan. 23, 1952 Patented Aug. l, 1933 Vunirse stares @Zgen Partnr orties nummer ern- 9 Claims.

This invention relates to toy airplanes, particularly those of the gliderV type, and has for its object to facilitate the launching ci the plane by means of a catapult, so that it may be thrown i 115 to a considerable height in the air before commencing its gliding night. For this purpose the wings are so inade and attached to the body that they may be folded and tipped backward in order to cause a minimum of air resistance and oi deviation from a straight line when the plane is thrown upward forcibly by a catapult or other throwing means. The invention consists in the novel characteristics hereinafter described with reference to the drawing.

In the drawing- Fig. l is a perspective view of a toy airplane embodying thisinvention, in its condition for gliding night; l

Fig. 2 is aperspectiveview showing the wings ".20 folded and tipped back preparatory to launching of the plane into the air;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspectivev View showing the nature ci the hinge between the wings,

and the means for connecting the wings in a 2.5 unable manner to the body;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View showing in a diagrammatic way the nature of my preferred connecting means between the body wings, such connecting means being shown in full lines and the adjacent parts of the body and wings in broken lines;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view and fragmentary side elevation taken on line 5 5 of Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a modified form of the invention including positive means for maintaining a desired dihedral 'angle' between the wings in gliding night;

Fig. 7 is a cross section and partial end elevation taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Describing now in complete detail the embodiment ofthe invention here illustrated, but without intending thereby to limit the scope 'of my invention and protection to less than their true scope;-the ifnain parts of the airplane coinprise a body a, wings b, c, stabilizing vane d, and guide vane e. lThese parts are all of light material, preferably balsa wood; the body being a square bar or stick or" the wood, and the wings and vanes being sheets cut as thin as possible, for lightness of weight, while having adequate strength.

The guide vane e is set upright in a kerf out in the tail end of the body piece, and secured. there by glue. When the plane is in the normal position of gliding night this vane is in a verti- (Cl. Lifi- 50) cal plane but its frontV and rear edges are inclined to the length of the body. The stabilizing vano is set across the top of the body, just forward of the vane e in a substantially horizontal plane when the airplane is in its normal position of night. Its forward edge is located by a shoulder f cut in the top side of the body piece, and the surface of the body directly in rear of this shoulder is made with a slight upward and rearward inclination to give a desired pitch to the vane with respect to the wings, such as has been found desirable in practice. It is simply, but adequatelysecured to the body by an elastic rubber band g, the loops of which pass under the body in front and in rear of the vane, and the intermediate stretches or which cross one another in passing' over the top surface of they vane.

The forward end of the body is beveled to reduce air resistance and provide a factor of stability and guidance, and the acute angle between its upper side and forward end is protected by a metal shield It, preferably a paper clip of well known type having spurs which are struck inward near the endsand are embedded in the wood of the body.

The wings b and c are made as the right and left members or" a pair of otherwise duplicate pieces. Their butt ends are connected together by a hinge consisting oi a piece of guinined tape y wrapped around them crosswise in position to cover the gap between their adjacent butt ends, enough of a gap being left between these ends to provide flexibility permitting the wings to be brought together side by side, substantially shown in Fig. 2. The connected wings are laid across the top side of the body with the hinge axis in the median longitudinal line of such top surface, at the location between the front and rear ends or the body which is known by experience to be the correct location for stable gliding night.

The wings so located are made fast to the body by a connection which permits the wings to turn about their hinge axis with respect to one another and also to tilt backward about their rear edge, or the rear end of their hinge axis, with respect to the body. The connection preferred for this purpose, because it has all the desired qualities oi flexibility, resilience and elasticity, and is inexpensive and easy to apply, is a simple elastic rubber band of the familiar type used in onices, etc.,` to surround papers; the same sort of article as the bandV g previously described. ln applying the wing-connecting band, its end loops are passed upwardly, from underneath through holes k, Ic, in the wings near their rear edges, so that both side portions of the band pass under and around the body and occupy a notch l in its under side. The loops are then stretched out and passed over the ends of the respective Wings, one over each, and released. The band then has a position and arrangement substantially as shown in a diagrammatic way in Fig. V4, having two bights m', m2, embracing the body, eyes m3 and m4, each surrounding the edge part of one wing back of the hole k, lengths m5 and m6 passing over the top of the wings and around their forward edges, and connecting lengths m7 and 1n.8 passing under the wings to connection.

with the eyes m3 and m4; these parts being all integral members of an endless band. The holes k, k are spaced with a distance between centers approximately equal to the width of the body and are symmetrically located with respect .to the wing hinge. Notches 1L, 11. are similarly located and spaced in the forward edges'of the wings to receive the forward loops of the band. lThe connection so made permits perfect freedom of the wings to be tilted backward whether before or after folding together about their `own hinge axis. These movements of the wing apply tensile and .bending stresses to the bights m andm2 of the band, without causing any considerable rubbing motion of any part of the band against any part of the wingsor body, such as would tend to tear and break 4the band. Durability of the Vband is Athurs assured.

The band selected for the purpose just described ypreferably has such length and strength that it will hold the wings to the body without looseness. While its members m' and m2 have some tendency to hold the wings in the horizontal position, due to their tension and tothe fact that this tension is applied to the Vedges -of the holes k forward of lthe rear edges fof the wings, they are not relied upon to hold the wings in horizontal position and to Vreturn them to that position after they have been Afolded and tilted back. This latter service is lperformed by a tension member or spring, preferably formed by a third elastic rubber band p, the end loops of which are located in notches r and s in the under side of the body forward and aft of the Wings, and "the central connecting partso'f which pass over the wings and lare located by the notches n, n.' 'The band p is of lsuch length that when applied in the manner described it exerts tension holding the wings to the body in gliding flight, and when the wings are folded and tilted back, the parts p', p2 leading fromthe body to the forward edge of `the wings are put under increased tension. The normal procedure in thus'p'lacing the wings is first to fold them together, vand then tilt them buck. 'Ihus the parts of the band p .overlying the wings' are pinched and prevented from sliding, so that the increased tension caused by 'tilting back the wings is applied virtually wholly to the parts p', pl.

In flying the toy with the aid of a launching device, the wings are folded and tilted back on either side of the guide vane e, and arel grasped by the thumb and forenger of the users hand, lso placed 4as to grip the guide vane between the wings. Ahook t projecting from the under side near the forward end of the Abody is placed in the bight of an elastic band u, the ends of which are fastened to a rod or fork .in the users other hand. Preferably the hook -is made as a wooden peg Vset into` a hole in the body and projecting witha rearward inclination. 'I'he user draws his hands apart, stretching the band of the catapult while aiming it upward. Upon releasing his grip on the wings, the catapult shoots the plane through the air so rapidly that the reaction of the air holds the wings still in approximately the same position until the propulsive force has largely spent itself. Then the spring elements p', p2 restore the wings to normal position, that shown in Fig. l, and the plane proceeds to glide to the ground, more or less slowly and with more or less variations of movement and traveling through a greater or less distance, depending on the direction and force of the air currents.

yThe particular mode herein described of hinging the wings to one another and to the body, and the manner in which the force of the spring elements is applied, causes the wings, in unfolding, to present a positive or salient angle of incidence to the air in the direction of movement; thereby tending to produce gliding action the instant the wings start to unfold. By virtue of the .folding capacity of the wings, the force of the .catapult is eect'ive to propel the plane to a great height and distance, without serious deviation from the original direction, due to the diminished wind resistance vof the folded wings and the fact that in their folded back 'position they tend .to guide the article in a straight path rather .than to deflect it. Experience has shown that the .plane can thus be thrown to a relatively great height before beginning its gliding descent, and that in gliding it executes a variety of movements, such as loops, spirals, dives,v horizontal flight, upward movements, circlings, etc. according to the air conditions, of a character most interest- `ing .to .the beholder. In some conditions it will ily a long distance in the same general direction before coming to earth.

With the use of a tension band p of the right length and strength, the air reaction in one direction and the weight of the body in the opposite direction will combine to hold the wings at a dihedral angle lof slightly less than 180 with their tips raised, a condition favorable to stability.. I have devised, however, for optional use, a mechanical aid to maintenance of a desired dihedral angle whatever may be the strength of the band. A device for this purpose is shown in Figs. 6 and'?, and consists of a strip .or plate w of sheet metal stiff 'enough to give support to the wings, and provided with attaching prongs a: on either side of its middle line, which are embedded in the top side of the body on the median line thereof beneath the wings. The ends of this plate or support extendV laterally under the two stretches of the band pand are bentV up at the prescribed angle.

It is to be understood, as stated at the beginning of this specification, that I claim the benefit of all equivalents to the means vand elements hereinbefore described,l within the scope of actual novelty of the invention. The parts of the airplane may be made of other materials than the balsa wood before specified, and connected together by other means than those described, provided capacity is preserved for substantially the same character of relative movement between these parts as described, all Within the scope of the invention claimed.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A toy airplane glider comprising a body, wings hinged together and adapted to be folded on a median line and hinged tothe body at their rear edge, whereby said wings may be folded and extended longitudinally of the body, and yieldable means for spreading said Wings; the wings in unfolding presenting a positive angle of inoidence and thereby tending instantly to produce gliding action.

2. An airplane toy comprising a body, wings flexibly connected to said body adjacent to their rear edge so as to be capable of tilting backward about such edge or a point therein, and being hinged to one another on a median line longitudinal to the body, whereby the wings may be folded back into substantial alinernent with the body, and spring means connected to the body and Wings arranged to be put under tension when the wings are so disposed and to exert force tending to place and hold the wings in supporting relation to the body; the Wings being thereby caused to present a positive angle of coincidence tending to produce gliding action, instantaneously upon starting to unfold.

3. An airplane comprising a body, wings hinged together on a median line perpendicular to the line joining the wing tips, and adapted to be folded on said line into position side by side, said wings having holes adjacent to their rear edge equidistant from the hinge axis and on respectively opposite sides thereof, and a flexible resilient band passing through said holes and around the body and being locked against withdrawal from the holes.

4. An airplane toy as set forth in claim 3 and including a second resilient band engaged with the body at points in front and rear of the wings, having a connecting portion which passes from one of said points to the other across the outer face of the wings.

5. An airplane toy comprising a body, wings hinged to one another on a median line transverse to a line passing from one wing tip to the other, means coupling the wings to the body with provision for tilting movement rearwardly about the rear end of the hinge line, and a spring member' engaged with the wings and body, normally holding the wings extended with their hinge line extending lengthwise of the body and adapted to yield so as to permit folding and til*- ing of the wings rearwardly to a position in which the length dimensions of both wings are substantially parallel to the body and their width dimension is perpendicular to the body; the wings in unfolding having at all times a positive angle of coincidence and tending to produce gliding action instantaneously upon starting to unfold.

6. An airplane toy comprising a body, wings crossing the body and hinged to one another on a median line transverse to their own length and longitudinal to the body, flexible coupling means connecting the wings to the body at points adjacent to their rear edge and to said hinge line, and elastic tension means extending from points on the forward edge of the wings at opposite sides of the hinge line to an adjacent point on the body, adapted to be put under increased tension when the wings are folded together and tilted back, whereby to restore the wings to normal position when released.

7. An airplane toy as set forth in claim 6 in which said tension means is an elastic band passing around the body forward and aft of the wings, and across the outer face of the wings; those portions of the band which pass over the wings being pinched between the Wings when the latter are folded together and thereby substantially withheld from sliding on the wings.

8. An airplane toy as set forth in claim 6 in which the coupling means is an endless elastic band having two bights passing under the body, two eyes, each surrounding the rear edge of one wing, two lengths, each passing over the top of one wing to the forward end thereof from one of said bights, and connecting lengths, each passing under one wing from the forward end of one of the before-na1ned lengths to one of the eyes.

9. In an airplane toy having a body and foldable, hingedly connected wings, means for oonnecting and hinging the wings to the body comprising an endless elastic band passing under the body and upward through separate holes in the wings at either side of the body, and having loops surrounding the wings.

ROSCOE M. GUILLOW. 

